Which reminds me of the Simpsons episode where they’re pilgrims on the Mayflower sighting America for the first time :

Homer – ” Land Ho ! “

Marge – ” What did you call me ? “

What niggles me is that my daughter seems to have absolutely no knowledge of little snippets of English history that everyone seemed to know when I was her age.

Trivia like

Why Sir Francis Drake finished a leisurely game of bowls before seeing off the Spanish Armada

Nelson seeing no ships by putting the telescope to his blind eye

Queen Victoria not being amused

Stanley presuming Dr. Livingstone

The Duke of Clarence drowning in a butt of Malmsey wine

all mean absolutely nothing to her,and I’d guess most people under forty.

I don’t remember actually being taught any of these things,just absorbing them somehow,maybe through reading Sellars and Yeatman’s spoof history book 1066 and all that,though come to think of it,the book wouldn’t have been funny if I hadn’t known the facts already.

As many posters have said,she studied various periods in history in depth,but has little idea of a timeline.

Is donation being done the same way as last year ?
I’ll sponsor you,you mad fool. Rather you than me :diablo:

I returned home and broke the bad news to the dog. If he wants to carry on living here he is going to have to go and get himself a job.

That’s not as daft as it sounds.
Mum and I have been watching a series called Extraordinary Dogs on Channel 5 on Tuesday evenings. It’s amazing the various ways dogs can be trained to assist people,it doesn’t just end with guide dogs.

I hope the older gentlemen make a quick recovery.

I really like York,first went there about five years ago so daughter could have a look at the University.
If you’re keen on history the Castle Museum’s well worth seeing. It’s supposed to be haunted,so don’t miss a visit to the condemned cell.
The famous Betty’s tea rooms do lovely Yorkshire Fat Rascals.
Mr. Bee absolutely loves the Railway Museum ( yawn ).and the whole city’s a treasure trove of photo opportunities.

I would be sorry if this really were the last census.

I’ve just started dabbling with researching my family tree ( illegitimate way back on both sides,wouldn’t you know 😀 ),and past censuses are a useful way of discovering family members.

Personally,I think translating pretty much anything into other languages is a waste of resources,although that sounds very much like Alf Garnett saying ” if they want to live here,let ’em learn English “.

Incidentally,I found yet another way my taxes are being frittered away.
I was flipping through one of those empty-headed celebrity magazines that my daughter has to read for educational purposes,and there was a full-page advert about the census.
Along with the usual stuff about you have to complete it because it’s important was a little comic strip.
It told of a young woman who missed a blind date with a gorgeous chap because her bus didn’t turn up on time,presumably to bang home the fact to the air-heads who actually read this twaddle that the census does have an effect on real life.It promised another thrilling instalment next week.
Goodness knows how much money was squandered in the production and placement of this advert,but I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised in this age where adults are routinely addressed as helpless toddlers.

Surely it should be enough to have in big letters on the front of the census form ” Complete this OR ELSE …. ?

I live next door to a Muslim family,originally from Pakistan,who are the best neighbours I could wish for.
This is only possible because all the family speak English well. If they hadn’t made the effort to learn it,I wouldn’t know what a nice family they are.I’m arranging a kind of street party for our close on the day of the Royal wedding,and they’re fully involved.
If I decided I’d had enough of this country and was off to make myself a new life in,say,Kyrgyzstan ( not likely,since I can’t even pronounce it,let alone point to it on a map ),I wouldn’t go expecting the Kyrgyzstani government to translate anything into English for my benefit.
Surely if anyone plans to settle in a country for any length of time,it’s in their own interest to learn the language of that country ?
Or maybe I should start swotting up on the 94 different first languages of schoolchildren in my town ?